Machine and process for mixing road material.



v w. L. KERLI N. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1- APPLICATION FILED 026.8, 1914. H 1,189.700. Patentediaiy 4,1916.

W. L. KERLIN. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-B. I914.

Patented July 4, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mkmlifi TTOR/VEY w. L. KER LIN. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL.

Patented J nly 4 APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. 1914. 1,189,700. 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- i 1775 T08 Wim EA ATTORNEY w. L. KERLIN.

MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL.

' APPLICATION HLED DEC-B, I914- l 1 89,700. I Patented July 4, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET. 4.

W. L. KERLIN. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD MATERIAL.

APPLICATON FILED DEC- 8, 194- V 1 ,1 {89,700. Patented July 4, 1916.

5 $HEET$$HEET 5- I ELL JJ IIVVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED SATS P .WILLIAM L. KERLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 WILLITE ROAD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR MIXING ROAD .MATERIAL.

Application filed December 8, 1914. Serial No. 876,035.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. KnnmN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, and whose post-ofiice address is No. 435 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in hlachine. and Processes for Mixing lioad Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a machine and process for mixing sand, earth. or other filling materials with asphalt or other binding material for the making of pavements for roads, streets, sidewalks or similar uses.

The invention includes several advantageous features which are preferably em ployed in combination with each other, but which may also be used separately or in combination with other mechanism or processes. The earth taken from an old roadway which is to be repaired, or filling material from any other source is screened and the tine product is heated and dried in a partial vacuum so as to extract the moisture as completely as possible after which it is reduced to extreme fineness, practically to dust in the case of some materials. and while still hot and dry is mixed with liquid asphalt. the mixing being also accomplished in a partial vacuum so as to maintain the dryness of the filling material and to insure as intimate a union between the filler and the binder as possible. The vacuum is secured in each case while the material is being fed by passing either the filling material or the mixture of filler and binder through a vessel. maintaining a full supply of material at the admission end and effecting asuction at the discharge end.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate an apparatus and pnbcess embodying the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a front end elevation; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a detail of-Fig. 5; Fig. l is a section on the line H of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a re::r end elevation; Fig. 6 is a section Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

on the line G-6 of Fig. 1; Fig.7 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the principal parts of the driving mechanism; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 58 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5) is a. horizontal section through the fan and br aking bars and screens for reducing the hneness of the material; Fig. 10 1s a longitudinal section of the mixing cylinder.

Referring now to the apparatus illustrated,-the supporting frame consists of longitudinal members A connected at the ends and atsuitable intervals between the ends by c; ass braces 15. This frame may be carried on wheels for transportation or on fixed standards.

The front part of the machine, at the left of Fig. l. earries the mechanism for screening and drying and feeding the filling material. The earth is shoveled int'o'a hopper whence it is carried up continuously in an eleva or l) comprising a chain of buckets running in a cast iron metal casing. At the rear of the upper end of the elevator the buckets discharge into a hopper E at the front end of a cylindrical casing or vessel F, the lower portion of which is a perforated screen (see Fig. i). A screw conveyer not shown with reverscly turned paddles along the shaft of a type common in this class of machinery, feeds the earth toward the rear end of the cylinder. The finer material falls through the screen into a trough (Jr. The unsereened material at the rear end of the cylinder F passes through a downwardly inclined chute ll into the rear end of a second cylinder J having its lower portion perforated and carrying a feed screw similar to that in the cylinder F. The two screws work in opposite directions, their shafts being connected together by the gears K and L (Fig. :2) at their front ends. Thus the material is fed from through the cylinder F and thence from back to front through the cylinder J, the material being agitated and the finer material from both cylinders being collected in the trough G. Near its front end the cylinder J discharges laterally into a chute M which is bent and passed through the front to back front end frame and forms the discharge pipe N. The refuse material discharged through this pipe may be elevated and screened again or may be discarded, accordthe gear L. At the front end of the trough G there are two discharge passages provided for the material (Fig. 3). A horizontal secticn' (Fig. 3) through the front end of the trough Gr shows the latter with its lower half cut away to form a feed opening S and an hverflow opening T. The opening S.

extends "farther toward the rear than the .opening T so that as the material is advancedtoward the front it will fall through t l. e opening S into a chute U until the latter isig filled, and will then fall through the-openinto an overflow chute V which conveys its material through the casing of the elevator D where it falls into the boot or llopper at the bottom and is again passed through the screens into the trough.

The chute U is a feed chute which conducts the screened material into a drying and feeding cylinder WV in which there is a screw conveyer and agitator similar to those.

in the screens F and J and the trough G.

The screw in the feeding cylinder W is mounted on a hollow shaft X which is connected by a gear Y (Fig. 2) to the gear R [and is rotated at a somewhat slower rate same cylinder.

than the latter. The cylinder WV has a double wall constituting a water acket Z.

A motor a drives a power shaft 5 from which the various parts of the apparatus are operated as hereinafter described. The hot exhaust from this motor is carried by a pipe 0 into the hollow shaft X of the feedin cylinder. The circulating water of the mgtor is passed through the jacket Z of the By thesemeans, where the design and location of the motor permit, a considerable amount of heat is applied to the screened filling material while it is being fed through the cylinder W. Heat may be applied in various other ways as a substitute for the method illustrated or in connection therewith to furnish any additional heat necessary. The relative slowness of the feed through the cylinder W insures a continuous supply of material from the trough G sufficient to fill the admission end of the cylinder W and generally to fill the chute U, a small quantity of material continually overflowing through the chute V into the elevator; Thus the admission end of the feed cylinder W is closed so as to practically or nearly cut off any admission of air.

The front ends of the cylinders F, J and supported upon the side frames A while the v lower part of the casing passes down between said frames. The lower half of this fan casing is unbroken. The upper half, however, is formed with a removable cap 7.: which gives access to the fan and with a removable screen casing Z which permits the lifting out of the screens and breaking bars.

The feed cylinder WV opens into the fan casing 72. at one side of the latter (see Figs. 3-

and 9). WVithin the fan casing close to the end of the feed cylinder is a combined pulverizer and fan m (Fig. 9) nearly filling the casing and carried on a central shaft n supported on suitable pedestals extending up from the cross braces. The material fed through the cylinder W is struck by the rapidly rotating ends of the fan blades and projected toward the rear of the machine against a breaking and screening arrangement shown in horizontal section in Fig. 9a

This arrangement consists of vertical bars 0, 79 arranged in staggered relation with narrow spaces between them, the bars presenting sharp edges and" deflecting faces to the material so that the latter is cut and broken,

and is then projected against a coarse screen 9 and a finer screen 7'. The material which comes to the fan is screened so fine and the pulverizing action of the fan is so great that all or nearly all of it will pass through the screen 1". That which fails to pass the screen collects in the bottom of the casing from which it is removed from time to time. The fan not only throws the material against the breaking bars, but also exerts a suction upon the air in the feed cylinder WV so as to maintain a partial i'acuum therein. This, with the aid of the heat supplied by the exhaust from the motor passing through the central shaft and by the water circulating through the jacket, effects a very thorough extraction of moisture from the material. The hot gases from the hollow shaft X of-the feed cylindenpass through the open rear end of said shaft into the fan casing and'are carried along with the material to keep the latter hot and dry. A fine subdivision of the material being effected by .lOO

the blows of the fan blades and by the therefrom put the material in the very best condition for an intimate mixture with and adhesion to the binder which is added subsequently.

From the fan chamber the filling material is blown through a pipe .9 which is of considerable length so as to avoid local back pressure on the fan and which 'is curved backward and discharges through a leg t into a cylindrical casing u in which is a mixing feed screw mounted on a central shaft on the forward end of which is a gear? 'v.' This screw feeds the material toward the forward end of the casing 10 whence it drops through an oblique chute '11 into a' cylindrical casing in which is a screw with mixing blades mounted on a hollow. shaft 3 at the forward end of which is a gear 2 which is operated in connection with the gear '0 through an intermediate gear 2 (Fig. 8) mounted on a cross brace of the frame.

A feed cylinder 3 for the hot asphalt or other binder is mounted at one side of the cylinder at which carries the filling material. This feed cylinder 3 for the binder has a screw feed and has an opening atits forward end leading to the chute 4 of the mixing cylinder-w. The cylinders u, :r and 3 are jacketed and heated by hot water from the motor. Such water may be conveyed, for example, through suitable pipin not shown, to the main feed cylinder \V for feeding the material as previously described and thence to the cylinders 14, a: and 3 in succession and thence back to the motor, giving a continuous flow of hot water around these four cylinders. The material in the supplementary feed cylinder 11 is preferably further heated by making the shaft 5 of its feed screw hollo and connecting the forward end of the same by a pipe (3 to the exhaust from the motor. The motor a is a four-cylinder gasolene motor and the exhaust from two of the cylinders is carried off through the pipe 0 to the hollow shaft of the main feed cylinder \V while the exhaust from the other two motor cylinders is carried through the pipe 6 to the hollow shaft 5 of the supplementary feed cylinder 11. By running half the exhaust into each of these two hollow shafts. both of which are open at their rear ends. the back prcssureon the motor cylinders is negligible. The shaft 7 of the feed screw in the binding material cylinder 3 carries at its for- -ward end a gear b which is connected through suitable intermediate pinions and gear 9 and 10 to a pinion 11 on the shaft y,

- the pinion and gear 9 and 10 being mounted on a removable support 12. This support being removed the pinion and gear 9 and 10 may be replaced by others of different proportions so as to vary the ratio of speed of the feed shafts in the mixing cylinder and the asphalt cylinder respectively. The rate of feed through the supplementary feed cylinder to for the filling material being fixed, the rate of feed of the asphalt may be varied to secure mixtures of different proportions. V

A more intimate union of the fillc' and the binder is secured by mixing these in a partial vacuum. For maintaining a partial 'acuum in the mixing cylinder :0 the latter is arranged so that a current of air is forced through its hollow shaft 1 and acts in the manner of an injector to suck the air out of the mixing cylinder (see Fig. 10). The shaft 1 carries at its rear end a head 13 nearly filling the cylinder and provided with narrow passages ll leading into an enlarged opening 15 which passes through the end piece 16 of the cylinder. Air passed through the shaft ;I therefore, causes a suction in the direction of the arrows throughout the cylinder. The forward end of the cylinder is practically closed by being lilled with the filling and binding materials coming from the cylinders u and 3 so that the suction maintains a partial vacuum in .the mixing cylinder. The fan mis so designed as to produce a strong centrifugal motion of the air and to create a pressure immediately around the outer edges of the blades and this pressure is taken off by an opening through the fan chamber into a pipe 17 which opens into the forward end of the shaft y so as to produce the current of air necessary for the maintaining of the air in the mixing cylinder. Fig. 10 also shows the style of feed screw with paddles which is used in the several cylinders.

The various gears and connections for driving the different parts of the apparatus are shown in Fig. 7. The shaft of the motor (a carries a sprocket 18 connected by a chain 19 with asprockct wheel 2t) 0011* nectcd through a clutch 21 to a jack-shaft 22. This shaft carries a sprocket 23 which connects by a chain 12+ with a sprocket at the opposite side of the machine which drives the lower shaft of the chain of buckets in the elevator. At the front end of thc jack shaft 22 is a pinion it) connected to the shaft by a clutch 27 and connected through an intermediate pinion 2b and .29 (Fig. 2) with lhc scvcral gears Y. if. L and K at the front of the machine. The jackshaft 22 carries also a sprocket 30 connected with the shaft by a clutch 31 and connected by a sprocket chain 32 with a sprocket wheel 33 on the shaft 72 of .the fan m. The

jack-shaft carries another sprocket 34 connected thereto a clutch 35 and connected by a cham 3o with a sprocket 37 on the end of a shaft 38 which runs to the back of the machine. The shaft 38' carries a pinion 39 to which it is connected by means of a clutch 40 and which pinion engages a gear 41 on the end of the shaft of the mixing cylinder. here the machine is to be portable the motor may also be geared to the trucks so as to move the machine along the road at a speed in direct relation to the amount of material being delivered at the outlet.

A delivery cylinder or pipe 42 is connectgear 4:5, the external teeth of which are' engaged by'a beveled gear 46 on the rear end of the shaft 38. The delivery pipe may, therefore, be turned about a vertical axis to deliver at different points; and in whatever position it may be turned its feed screw will be operated by the crown gear.

In operation the clutch 27 is thrown into engagement so as to rotate the gears at the front of the-machine until they shall have screened and introduced into the feed eylinder W enough material to fill the inlet end thereof. The admission of air. at this end then being stopped the clutch 31 is thrown in to start the pulverizer fan and to advance the dust to the supplementary feed cylinder 14. When the leg t of the pipe leading to the supplementary feed cylinder is filled with'dust, or nearly so :the

clutches and 40 are thrownin and the suction commences in the mixing cylinder w. Until the material fills the vertical leg or chute 43 of thedelivery pipe a cap should be placed over the end of the delivery pipe so as to maintain the desired vacuum in the mixing cylinder; However, this cap is removed as soon as the material fills the leg 43 and thereafter the machine will operate automatically in the manner described.

Though I have described with great par-' ticularity of detail certain specific embodiments of my invention yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the particular embodiments disclosed. Various modifications thereof in detail and in the arrangement and combination .of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

V'Vhat I claim is 1. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a casing for conveying solid material, means for maintaining a full supply of materialat the admission end so as to practically or nearly cut off the admission of air and means for sucking air out of the casing so as to maintain a partial vacuum in said material.

2. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a casing for conveying solid material, means for maintaining a full supply of material at the admission end so as to practically; or nearly cut off the admission of air, a fan for sucking air out of the casing so as to maintain a partial vacuum in said material and means for agitating said material.

3. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a'casing for conveying solid material,.means for maintaining a full supply of material at the admission end so as to practically or nearly cut elf the admission of'air, means at the dis charge end for sucking air out of the asing and means for heating the material to facilitate the removal of moisture therefrom. A

4. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a casing, means for maintaining a full supply of material at the admission end of the casing so as to practically or nearly cut off the admission of air, means at the discharge end for suching air out of the casing, means for passing solid material through the casing, comprising a screw having a hollow shaft and means for passing steam through the shaft, to heat the material and facilitate the removal, of moisture therefrom.

5. A machine for mixing road materials comprising a tubular casing, a screw for passing solid material through said casing, said screw having a hollow shaft open at the discharge end of the casing, means for passing steam through said shaft to heat said material, means for maintaining a full suppractically or nearly cut off the admission of air, and a fan at the discharge end for sucking air out'of said casing, so as 'to heat the materia. 1nd extract moisture therefrom and to discharge the same at a high temperatu e.

6. A machine for mixing road 'materii-tls comprising a fan, means for providing a continuous supply of finely divided solid material thereto, and .screening devices against which such material is projected bysaid fan.

7. A machine for mixing road materials comprising means for heating a filling material and exhausting air therefrom and means 'for maintaining a partial vacuum during such mixing. I

9. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a chamber, means for propelling therethrough and heating therein a filling material, means for simultaneously producing a partial vacuum in the material, means for mixing a binder therewith and means for maintaining a partial vacuum during such mixing.

10. A machine for mixing road materials and the like comprising a chamber, means for propelling a filling material therethrough, means for simultaneously exhausting air and moisture therefrom, means for mixing a binder and tempering substance therewith and means for maintaining a partial vacuum during such mixing.

11. A machine for .mixing road materials and the like comprising means for conveying and disintegrating a filling material, means for partially exhausting air and moisture therefrom, means for mixing a binder therewith, and means for maintaining a partial vacuum during such mixing.

12. A process or method of mixing paving material, which comprises continuously feeding fillers and binders individually to a vessel, continuously conveying them therethrough and simultaneously mixing them, therein, continuously withdrawing the mixture, and maintaining a partial vacuum in the vessel and mixture during the entire operation.

13. A process or method of mixing paving material, which comprises continuously feeding fillers and binders individually to a vessel, continuously propelling them therethrough and simultaneously mixing them therein, continuously withdrawing the mixture, and maintaining the admission end of the vessel full of material and Withdrawing air from the discharge end of the vessel for the purpose of creating a partial vacuum within the material.

14. The method of mixing asphaltic binder and filler paving material, comprising the continuously feeding of the filler and of the asphaltic binder into the admission end of a vessel, at such a rate as to maintain the admission end of the vessel full of material, simultaneously mixing the material and moving the mixed material toward the discharge end of the vessel, and continuously mechanically inducing air and the mixed material from the discharge end of the vessel.

15. The method of mixing asphaltic binder and filler paving material, comprising the continuously feeding of the filler and of the asphaltic binder into the admission end of a vessel, at such a rate as to maintain the admission end of the vessel full of material, simultaneously mixing and applying heat to the material and moving the mixed material toward the discharge end of the vessel, and continuously mechanically inducing air, moisture and the mixed material from the discharge end of the vessel.

16. A process or method of mixing paving material fillers and binders, which comprises finely-subdividing and heating filling material, continuously feeding it hot into a mixing chamber, feeding the binding material into the mixing chamber, mixing the heated filler and the binder in a partial vacuum and obtaining a continuous Withdrawal of the hot mixture from the chamber.

17. The process of making a mixture of paving materials including an asphaltic binder and a filler, which consists in heating the filling material in a vacuum to dry it, finely sub-dividing such dried filling mate rial, feeding the same hot into a mixing vessel, heating the binder and feeding it hot into said vessel, producing a vacuum in said vessel and mixing said binder and filler in such vacuum.

18. A process or method of mixing paving material fillers and binders, which comprises finely-subdividing and heating filling material, continuously feeding it hot into a mixing chamber, heatin the binder and feeding it into the mixing chamber, and mixing the heated filling material and the heated binder, in a partial vacuum and obtaining a continuous withdrawal of the hot mixture from the chamber.

19. A process or method of mixing paving material fillers and binders, which comprises continuously finely-subdividing and heating filling material, sieving the treated filling material continuously, feeding it hot into a mixing chamber, mixing it with the binder, in a partial vacuum and obtaining a continuous withdrawal of the mixture from the chamber.

20. The process of making a mixture of paving materials including an .asphaltic binder and a filler, which consists in feed ing the filler continuously through a feeding vessel, maintaining the admission end of said vessel full of said filler, withdrawing air from said vessel so as to maintain a vacuum therein and heating the filler in said vessel, thus drying the same and feeding the same hot into a mixing vessel, heating the binder and feeding it hot into said mixing vessel, feeding said materials at such a rate as. to maintain the admission end of said mixing vessel full, heating the materials in said mixing vessel and withdrawing air therefrom to maintain a vacuum in said mixing vessel and to secure a most intimate mix ture of the materials therein.

21. The process of making a mixture of paving materials including an asphaltic binder and a filler, which consists in feeding the filler continuously through a feeding vessel, maintaining the admission end of said vessel full of said filler, Withdrawing air from said vessel so as to maintain a vacuum therein and heating the filler in said vessel, thus drying the same, finely subdividing such dried filler and feeding the same hot into a mixing vessel, heating the binder and feeding it hot into said mixing vessel, feeding said materials at such a rate In Witness whereof, I have hereunto as to maintain the admission end of said signed my name in the presence of two submixing vessel full, heating the materials in scribing Witnesses.

said mixing vessel and withdrawing air WVILLIAM L. KERLIN. therefrom to maintain a vacuum 111 said Witnesses: mixing vessel and to secure a most intimate A. ANTHONY UsINA,

mixture of the materials therein. LULU STUBENVOLL. 

